Nba = Wwe

[Throwback420]

This is a day or 2 old but thought I should post it. I agree with Sheed ..

Even The sun shines on a dog's ass ...

The Ball never lies ...





Rasheed Wallace isn't as dumb as he looks



<HR style="COLOR: #fdde82" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->Wallace gets Stern rebuke

Commissioner infers forward's comments on league wanting Cavaliers in Finals disrespectful.

Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

AUBURN HILLS -- NBA commissioner David Stern, after spending several weeks in China, rushed back to New York this week to preside over the league's Board of Governors meetings and give his annual state of the league address.
But just as he was about to catch his breath, he heard a noise coming out of Pistons camp.
"If it's Friday, it must be Rasheed Wallace," Stern said with a heavy sigh during a telephone interview Friday morning.
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<!--endclickprintexclude-->Stern had been briefed about some comments Wallace made after the Pistons' final exhibition Wednesday. Wallace was asked about the Pistons' playoff collapse last season and his ejection from Game 6.
"I still don't think they (Cavaliers) beat us, we beat ourselves," Wallace said. "And I think we also fell victim to that personal NBA thing where they are trying to make it a world game and get (television) ratings. They wanted to put their darling in there (the NBA Finals) and they did, and look what ended up happening."
The league's darling, according to Wallace, was LeBron James, and what ended up happening were the worst ratings in the modern history of the NBA Finals.
"This game ain't basketball anymore, it's entertainment," Wallace said. "It's starting to get like the WWF. There ain't no real wrestling anymore either. It's all fake."
Wallace has lodged the same basic complaint in varying but always colorful ways the past few years. Stern has heard him and, although he has yet to fine him for the comments, he doesn't appreciate them.
"We have a great game and it provides a lot of people -- Rasheed and myself included -- a very good living," Stern said. "I think we all need to learn to be respectful of all that this game has brought and know that there are a lot of people who have worked extremely hard to bring us all to this place. I think Rasheed needs to think about that before he starts questioning things and making those kinds of statements."
Stern, though, didn't belabor the point.
"I think sometimes different players do different things to get themselves prepared for a season," he said

 

[Throwback420]

Stern has been fixing the NBA for a while now everyone knows ....






Fire Stern

 

[Das Kapital]

damn right stern won't fine Sheed, cause he's RIGHT!

 

[BetCrimes1984]

:36_11_6::36_11_6::36_11_6::36_11_6:

 

[Throwback420]

:36_11_6::36_11_6::36_11_6::36_11_6:

:36_11_6:

 

[Killa]

Stern has been fixing the NBA for a while now everyone knows ....

That is such bullshit. Did anyone watch that Cleveland/Detroit series? Does anyone wanna convince me that Cleveland won that series because of the fucking refs? Did David Stern score those 48 points for LeBron in Detroit's building in the game that decided the series? Detroit sucked last year, they were a joke. They looked completely lost in that series and got ran off the court by LeBron and some chumps. Joe Dumars could have been the commissioner of the league and LeBron still would have beaten that joke of a team.

I'm so tired of people making these vague statements supported by no evidence, like "the league is fixed" or "Stern put James in the Finals." Give me a break.

 

[Killa]

BTW, where was the "fix" and where was Stern when his superstar LeBron was getting smoked 4-0 in the Finals? I guess the fix ended at the East finals?

:36_11_6:

 

[Seabass]

That is such bullshit. Did anyone watch that Cleveland/Detroit series? Does anyone wanna convince me that Cleveland won that series because of the fucking refs? Did David Stern score those 48 points for LeBron in Detroit's building in the game that decided the series? Detroit sucked last year, they were a joke. They looked completely lost in that series and got ran off the court by LeBron and some chumps. Joe Dumars could have been the commissioner of the league and LeBron still would have beaten that joke of a team.

I'm so tired of people making these vague statements supported by no evidence, like "the league is fixed" or "Stern put James in the Finals." Give me a break.

Agreed, Killa.

The NBA has some shady stuff going on, and it wouldn't shock me if a player or two might have shaved some points here or there, but I would be absolutely shocked if the commissioners office ever tried to fix a game.

Were they happy LeBron made it? Yes, probably...but I bet they sure weren't happy he got swept, and if they really cared that much, they could have probably gotten him at least a win in the finals.

 

[xpression syst_m]

sheed being sheed

 

[Throwback420]

I'm so tired of people making these vague statements supported by no evidence, like "the league is fixed" or "Stern put James in the Finals." Give me a break.


refs were busted for betting on games sure the nba isnt fixed.

 

[Killa]

That is a different charge altogether. Your original statement was that "Stern has been fixing the NBA for a while now." So, unless you are asserting that Stern was in on the referee betting scandal, then one has nothing to do with the other.

 

[Satyr]

Definitely a different charge. NBA isn't fixed. You guys have NO IDEA how North American sports are clean compared to some European leagues.

Not all of course, not even most, but SOME. Take Croatia for example. The most popular sport here is football. You call it soccer. I could write a book about shady things here, about illegal shit going on, and no one can do anything about it.


Refs betting on sports is a HUGE deal, major deal. Tim Donaghy should be locked away forever. I mean if he's going to bet on games, Pete Rose will bet on his team (who is to say he always took the Reds, come on! not once did you take the over, Pete? You degenerate you. Or the under. Fuck that.)

Sportsmen should not be betting on sports, PERIOD. They have too many contacts, too many opportunities to fool the books, not to mention they can fuck with spreads on their own.

That is really wrong. I invest my cash in betting thinking it's clean, I DEMAND it being clean. That's why I can tell you straight away, don't bet on Croatian football league, or Bulgarian, Romanian, whatever.

That's where shady things happen.

But NBA? Come fucking on! Every night it's the same, people lose bets, people bitch and moan about fixed spreads and totals. Look at it, they missed two FTs to fuck my over! Come on. You could have taken the under and you would be running around the computer like a little girl who has just won a bag full of candy.

Unlike some here, I can give you PROOF of Croatian football league being rigged, I can show you why it is so obvious that some games are shady.

You cannot give me any proof of the NBA being fixed, because there isn't any. Except for Donaghy, he fucked up and there's the proof. But to say that LeBron was in the finals because of Stern...come on.

Were the Miami Heat smoked by the baby Bulls on Stern's initiative? LeBron was SMOKED in the finals, swept clean off. Oh my GOD, that doesn't do good to the ratings does it! An all veteran defense-first lead by Tim-oh-I-am-so-boring-yet-brilliant-yet-boring-Duncan & Eva's sexy boy toy won it again, and they swept the floor with "Future number #23" and his crew.


Stern's call? I don't think so. Just no logic in it.

Stern's favorite team today, the Phoenix Suns got eliminated due to a dodgy suspensions call. Those rules need to be reviewed, come on, Amare did nothing wrong, and this is coming from a long time Spurs fan.

But why would Stern do that, when we all know that Suns basketball is something that sells tickets and glues people to the TVs and not 101 defensive scheme by Popovich and Bowen.

I love that, but most people don't.


Also, for example, Atlanta doesn't cover the spread, Stern's call?

Guys, give me some proof. Give me anything. But please don't just say "oh it's fixed, we all know that".

I don't know that. The minute I start thinking it's fixed (in general, not Donaghy's few games, even though that's a big scandal as well), I'll stop betting on it.

I don't bet on rigged leagues. Except if I have some exclusive info.

 

[Satyr]

I've been watching sports since I was like, 9 or 10 years old. Very rarely have I seen sportsmen giving statements which are not entirely and fully supportive of their team.

In a way, it's normal. But on the other hand, can't you be more realistic? Sheed is full of sheet.:smiley_acbe:

 

[Killa]

Way to take a sledgehammer to the ridiculous argument that David Stern actually impacts who wins games, Satyr. Hopefully after that post, we won't hear it uttered again this season. But I doubt it.

 

[Throwback420]

That is a different charge altogether. Your original statement was that "Stern has been fixing the NBA for a while now." So, unless you are asserting that Stern was in on the referee betting scandal, then one has nothing to do with the other.

Im sure Stern has something to do about it.

Dont really want to debate because I dont care much ...

 

[abcs]

wow sheed will get a minimum of 5 games for this comment

 

[BetCrimes1984]

it should be mandatory for all players and coaches to bet on themselves ATS (minimum of 10s to 100s of thousands, scaled against ones contract), and provide proof of having done so before the games begin. Then you'll see real contests with no points shaving

 

[signalcaller]

I still believe that Milwaukee/Philly series back in 01 had some sort of league power to it. Allen Iverson was their darling. They suspended the Bucks Scott Williams on a bullshit flagrant fould on Iverson who was basically the key to that series. I remember there being some talk about this back then as well

 

[B.A.R.]

That is such bullshit. Did anyone watch that Cleveland/Detroit series? Does anyone wanna convince me that Cleveland won that series because of the fucking refs? Did David Stern score those 48 points for LeBron in Detroit's building in the game that decided the series? Detroit sucked last year, they were a joke. They looked completely lost in that series and got ran off the court by LeBron and some chumps. Joe Dumars could have been the commissioner of the league and LeBron still would have beaten that joke of a team.

I'm so tired of people making these vague statements supported by no evidence, like "the league is fixed" or "Stern put James in the Finals." Give me a break.

Cleveland played better in that series but take a look at the 2nd half of game 6....that was the biggest joke I have seen since Game 4 of the 2001 WC Finals(Sac at LAL)

 

[SF_capper]

Although I agree, sheed is just bitchin over nothing here as I was watching the game 5 where Lebron left his mark, and refs whether they wanetd to or not could do nothing to help either team with lebron just dominating. However, it does seem odd that the playoffs are always a bit intriguing, esp to start. take for example this year

it was a push for the playoffs: GSW/Clips/Hornets/ and outside chance for Lakers. as well as teams fighting for position in the east. Kinda ironic how the 1st round shaped up even in the couple of regular season games, how

Dallas played GSW (Nelson being Dallas's old coach, Avery playing for GSW last)- how any other team would have been a blowout, but it was instead a most fun to watch series

Phoenix and Kobe played against eachother AGAIN

how Chicago got revenge with Miami, Wash had a chance for revenge with cleveland

I was betting the last week/2 of regular season in anticipation of these matchups being created and they did. Maybe it was pure luck, but as I watched my day records of like 8-1 develop each day, I was partially convinced that the matchups were in part influenced by the ratings they would provide.

 

[B.A.R.]

Cleveland played better in that series but take a look at the 2nd half of game 6....that was the biggest joke I have seen since Game 4 of the 2001 WC Finals(Sac at LAL)

Thats why I like sheed. He tells the truth. The NBA for years has pulled this stuff. They try their hardest to have their stars be i nthe spotlight. Understandable. But at same time, hopefully the Donaghy scandal will scale that back. One reason I am looking forward to this season more than any in recent memory. The game 'should' be much more pure.

 

[Throwback420]

yeah SHEED is the Truth.

 

[abcs]

Sheed needs to get over it. Kind of like his stupid guarantees. They lost. Lebron put on a display in game 6 that was one for the ages. That being said I thought the pistons were the best team in the east, they just didn't play hard enough in my opinion. I mean what a joke by Chauncy to let a clown like Gibson go off for 30+

 

[abcs]

 

[slayer202]

I've been skeptical about the NBA in recent years, and comments like this don't help the league's image.

What gets me about this story is Stern's quote. It sounds more like he is telling Sheed to keep his mouth shut because this is their business, and it makes them money, rather than denying it. That's probably just because Sheed's statement is crazy enough that it doesn't even need to be denied, but still, it irks me

 

[abcs]

Im sorry but even with Lebron, the cavs are the most boring team in the league. Watching Lebron run a half court offense is about as exciting as a root canal.

 

[Killa]

Cleveland played better in that series but take a look at the 2nd half of game 6....that was the biggest joke I have seen since Game 4 of the 2001 WC Finals(Sac at LAL)

Here's the thing. I accept, as we all do, that referees can get caught up in the moment and the crowd and give calls to the home team. And we all accept that superstars get calls. We all know that these are natural aspects of the NBA, the refs are only human. BUT, making the big leap and saying that David Stern is responsible, or involved, that seems like a huge stretch supported by no evidence. There's just no consistency. The money finals would have been Phoenix vs. LeBron. So Stern suspends the Suns' best player, against the advice and opinion of every fan in the world, in effect handing the series to the boring as fuck Spurs? And couldn't Stern have "given" Wade at least 1 win vs. the boring as fuck Bulls?

NBA refs not calling it down the middle = fact.
David Stern telling refs to not call it down the middle = myth.

 

[brewer]

bulls are boring

 

[gpcyan3]

sheed being sheed

couldn't have said it better myself

 

[BetCrimes1984]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=yspsctnhdln>Tim Donaghy scandal could strengthen league

</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7><SPACER type="block" width="1" height="1"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><STYLE type=text/css> td.yspwidearticlebody { font-size: 13.5px; }</STYLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=yspwidearticlebody>By Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports
October 25, 2007
<TABLE id=ysparticleheadshot cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 align=left border=0 hspace="5" vspace="5"><TBODY><TR><TD class=ysptblbdr2><TABLE class=yspwhitebg cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE class=yspwhitebg cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>For so long, David Stern let too much go. These problems had been festering, begging to be resolved, but part arrogance, part denial, left the commissioner chasing the cosmetic over the substantive. He had a dirty official in a personal freefall, but he hammered ballplayers on dress codes. He had a broken system of referee evaluation, but his people were tsk-tsking Tim Duncan for listening to an inconspicuous iPod in warmups.
In so many ways, Tim Donaghy did the NBA a favor: He forced Stern to re-examine everything about how the league’s officials are taught, evaluated and monitored. Donaghy turned Stern’s gaze from conquering the world, to immersing himself in salvaging the credibility and core of his game.
Before a regular season game is played, it’s clear: The NBA will suffer little beyond embarrassment over Donaghy. The fear refs wouldn't be able to walk onto the floor without a besiegement of volatile references to Donaghy appears unfounded. It isn't so much the strength of the league that pushes the sport past this creep, but a public that has become numbed to cheating. From steroids to hidden cameras to fat-cat boosters, this is a society that has been conditioned to consider corruption business as usual.
Donaghy hasn't destroyed the NBA, but fortified it. Stern has stripped VP Stu Jackson of his duties overseeing referees and promises the league will be forthcoming in publicly acknowledging officiating mistakes. They'll conduct deeper and more detailed background checks with a beefed up security staff, and the league will hire experts to closely study how statistical patterns in NBA games mesh with betting lines. Referees are told to be more accommodating to talking with coaches and players on the floor, and the names of game officials will be released on the mornings prior to tip-off to eliminate the prospect of insider information for bettors.
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</NOSCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>And maybe most interesting of all, Stern stopped the charade of a referee's gambling policy that Stern himself confessed to never enforcing. More than half of his officials confessed to violating rules against casino gambling, and there wasn't one of the 56 who bothered to deny wagers on golf, and tournament pools and snagging a lottery ticket. Stern made the rules, never enforced them and decided that this was time to separate serious gambling and a casual dalliance.

The NBA wishes it could tell everyone that the Donaghy fallout is finished, but until his sentencing in late January, Stern doesn't know the complete extent of the feds' investigation. Why was the court date pushed back from early November? Has Donaghy ratted out more referees on gambling and sent the feds out to corroborate his tales? Nobody knows. So far, there's no evidence to suggest that's the case, but Stern can't close the league's internal review until the feds investigation is done. Only then will the feds tell the NBA the extent of their findings.
"It's all on the basis of sort of what we know at the present time," Stern said.
What's more, the NBA didn't need a scandal to know many of its executives and coaches believed that Jackson was responsible for far too much in his office. Under Jackson's watch, there had been a widening gulf between referees and those charged with overseeing and grading them.
Instead of a partnership, too much of an "Us vs. Them," mentality had grown. More and more, referees were dubious of those charged with evaluating their work.
Now, Stern will hire a new executive to oversee the officiating operation, and that should go a long way toward soothing the nasty dynamic that developed between the league office and refs. Strangely in the end, only Donaghy's devious act could bring everything back together.
The more you listened to Stern on Thursday, the more it sounded as if the rogue ref had forced the commish to deal with mundane housekeeping that seemed much less exotic than growing his game around the globe.
"I think that there's always an opportunity when you're forced to review things like this," Stern said. "Over the years we've been relatively resilient in terms of looking at issues, whether it's Magic Johnson or issues of race or drugs …"
So far, the sport has survived a mob-connected criminal calling basketball games. In the landscape of sports corruption, Tim Donaghy comes and goes because almost nothing has staying power in a news cycle that moves quickly to the next boogeyman. Who would've thought that the league's worst nightmare could go such a long way toward keeping the NBA, and its wanderlust commissioner, honest?

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>